Quinn's 4 C's For M-Learning
Within these Four Walls: Putting Clark Quinn’s Four C’s Into Practice
Assignment 1, part B.
Quinn notes that formal learning is important, especially for novice learners. A formal structure provide the basis for learning to commence. The need, however, for formal learning decreases as learners become more skilled. In essence, the learner matures, becoming more aware of their learning needs. This move from simple consumer to an active participant presents an opportunity for the learner to take a more significant role in their own education. With the appropriate tools formal learning can be evolve and be augmented allowing the learner to create personal meaning from the learning objectives, sharing what they have learned with peers. This evolution in the learner's capability allows the teacher to move back from the traditional role stepping into one that supports and promotes the learner. Technology allow for traditional activities to be altered. Mobile technology add another level of accessibility and familiarity to the augmented learner experience. The newly created project can achieve the same, if not more, than the original task with little alteration, whist engaging students.
Technology can support the learning experience and many students being more familiar with mobile technology today than ever before m-learning presents the opportunity to supports a variety of activities that can promote the spacing learning over time, achievement of meaningful objectives, promote focus on an achievable objective all while engaging the student (Quinn).
The Activity:
For this assignment I decided to utilize a science 9 biology project that promotes understanding of the stages of Mitosis by employing a mobile app to complete a traditional task.
Asexual reproduction, or Mitosis, is a core outcome for Science 9 and is one that many students struggle to understand. The process itself is complex and materials presented in formal learning are often overly detailed and confusing. One active task that I have been using to assist students interact with the various stages is the creation of a cartoon flip chart. Students are required to draw the stages, showing how each progressively prepares the cell for division and ultimately cytokinesis.
The project has always been well received with students as they are able to utilize all of the knowledge available to them, be it notes, the text or other students to create a finished product that has meaning. The flip book provides them with a set of personal notes which they themselves have created without direct assistance. Overall my experience with this project has been that students finish with a better understanding of the process and steps involved in mitosis.
The original lesson (shared below as a PDF) was been altered so that it can be completing with the use of a Gif generating app. Gif’s are small stop motion media or animated video that can be readily shared. There are many Gif maker apps in the market for mobile devices as well as numerous versions that can be used online on tablets or computers. This application provided a means to create a finished personalized product that can easily be shared with peers.
Technology can support the learning experience and many students being more familiar with mobile technology today than ever before m-learning presents the opportunity to supports a variety of activities that can promote the spacing learning over time, achievement of meaningful objectives, promote focus on an achievable objective all while engaging the student (Quinn).
The Activity:
For this assignment I decided to utilize a science 9 biology project that promotes understanding of the stages of Mitosis by employing a mobile app to complete a traditional task.
Asexual reproduction, or Mitosis, is a core outcome for Science 9 and is one that many students struggle to understand. The process itself is complex and materials presented in formal learning are often overly detailed and confusing. One active task that I have been using to assist students interact with the various stages is the creation of a cartoon flip chart. Students are required to draw the stages, showing how each progressively prepares the cell for division and ultimately cytokinesis.
The project has always been well received with students as they are able to utilize all of the knowledge available to them, be it notes, the text or other students to create a finished product that has meaning. The flip book provides them with a set of personal notes which they themselves have created without direct assistance. Overall my experience with this project has been that students finish with a better understanding of the process and steps involved in mitosis.
The original lesson (shared below as a PDF) was been altered so that it can be completing with the use of a Gif generating app. Gif’s are small stop motion media or animated video that can be readily shared. There are many Gif maker apps in the market for mobile devices as well as numerous versions that can be used online on tablets or computers. This application provided a means to create a finished personalized product that can easily be shared with peers.
oltd_508_ubd_mitosis_flip_book.pdf | |
File Size: | 127 kb |
File Type: |
oltd_508_ubd_m-learning_mitosis_flip_book.pdf | |
File Size: | 127 kb |
File Type: |
The App: ‘Gif Me!’
Available via Google Play and other online app stores.
As I own an android device, I was limited to the Gif maker that I could utilize, but it should be noted that there are a number of Giff generators that complete the same task. these include;
Students willing to use their mobile device would be provided a list of suitable applications. I feel it is important to provide the list of acceptable apps to students as., not only is it important to be transparent to parents, many apps that could complete the task added various layers that detracted from the purpose of the activity. Students could then download the app that they deemed appropriate for them.
Mobile device Gif maker apps all have capability to be shared via Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, email.
Platform: Gif Me! operates on the android platform.
Device requirements: Due to the nature of the activity, work could be completed individually or in small groups on a limited number of
smartphones.
The Product: Draw the stages of Mitosis, taking photos of them and creating an animated Gif.
Location: Classroom
Resources: Smartphone with App installed, internet access, textbook, pens papers or other art supplies.
Available via Google Play and other online app stores.
As I own an android device, I was limited to the Gif maker that I could utilize, but it should be noted that there are a number of Giff generators that complete the same task. these include;
- Gifboom for android and Iphone
- Cinemagram for Iphone
- Gifture for Iphone, amongst others.
Students willing to use their mobile device would be provided a list of suitable applications. I feel it is important to provide the list of acceptable apps to students as., not only is it important to be transparent to parents, many apps that could complete the task added various layers that detracted from the purpose of the activity. Students could then download the app that they deemed appropriate for them.
Mobile device Gif maker apps all have capability to be shared via Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, email.
Platform: Gif Me! operates on the android platform.
Device requirements: Due to the nature of the activity, work could be completed individually or in small groups on a limited number of
smartphones.
The Product: Draw the stages of Mitosis, taking photos of them and creating an animated Gif.
Location: Classroom
Resources: Smartphone with App installed, internet access, textbook, pens papers or other art supplies.
the product and quinn's 4 c's
Content: Formal learning will have taken place prior to the creation of the Gif. During the creation of the project, information could be sources from a variety of places, including the internet. Access to real time resources is an advantage that this project has over it's predecessor which relied on students having information to hand in the form of notes of the textbook.
Compute: The application itself has the processing capability to generate the gif, play it and share it.
Communicate: The mobile device has the ability to share the product, be it by email, messaging, Facebook, Twitter, etc., each of which is supported by the selected app. The teacher can receive the finished product as desired, for example to the class Facebook page, Google+ page or via email. This is an immediate advantage that mobile technology has over the the original project which required a hard copy to be produced. In addition this feature supports the celebration of work as well as providing a collective resource for the group.
Capture: The mobile device is used to capturing the images created by students prior to the creation of the Gif. Images could also be time stamped. This would prove beneficial to authenticate an individual's work as original.
The Final Product:
Wanting to test the lesson I asked several students to work together using my phone to create a simple Gif. The product, which I have shared with their permission, allows me to make several key observations.
Students completed the task in a more timely fashion than with the original
Students were engaged with the technology, finding it easy to use.
Students were pleased with the final product.
Students advised that they watched a Youtube video on Mitosis to get ideas prior to commencing.
The final product was smoother and more polished, meeting the project's objects.
Overall I was pleased with the final product. The product was created in a limited time frame, without pre-teaching and without resources of note. To me, this highlights the potential that m-learning has. It allows technology to be harnessed in a cost effective and accessible way that students find engaging.
Compute: The application itself has the processing capability to generate the gif, play it and share it.
Communicate: The mobile device has the ability to share the product, be it by email, messaging, Facebook, Twitter, etc., each of which is supported by the selected app. The teacher can receive the finished product as desired, for example to the class Facebook page, Google+ page or via email. This is an immediate advantage that mobile technology has over the the original project which required a hard copy to be produced. In addition this feature supports the celebration of work as well as providing a collective resource for the group.
Capture: The mobile device is used to capturing the images created by students prior to the creation of the Gif. Images could also be time stamped. This would prove beneficial to authenticate an individual's work as original.
The Final Product:
Wanting to test the lesson I asked several students to work together using my phone to create a simple Gif. The product, which I have shared with their permission, allows me to make several key observations.
Students completed the task in a more timely fashion than with the original
Students were engaged with the technology, finding it easy to use.
Students were pleased with the final product.
Students advised that they watched a Youtube video on Mitosis to get ideas prior to commencing.
The final product was smoother and more polished, meeting the project's objects.
Overall I was pleased with the final product. The product was created in a limited time frame, without pre-teaching and without resources of note. To me, this highlights the potential that m-learning has. It allows technology to be harnessed in a cost effective and accessible way that students find engaging.
References
Moreau, E. (2015, July 15). Create Animated Images by Using These 9 Free GIF Maker Apps for iPhone and Android. Retrieved March 08, 2016, from http://webtrends.about.com/od/prof4/tp/Free-Gif-Maker-Apps-Iphone-Android.htm References
Quinn, C. N., Ph.D. (2011). Mobile Learning: Landscape and Trends. Retrieved March 7, 2016, from http://oltd508lewis.weebly.com/uploads/8/2/7/9/8279059/2011report-mobile_learning-_landscape_and_trends.pdf
Moreau, E. (2015, July 15). Create Animated Images by Using These 9 Free GIF Maker Apps for iPhone and Android. Retrieved March 08, 2016, from http://webtrends.about.com/od/prof4/tp/Free-Gif-Maker-Apps-Iphone-Android.htm References
Quinn, C. N., Ph.D. (2011). Mobile Learning: Landscape and Trends. Retrieved March 7, 2016, from http://oltd508lewis.weebly.com/uploads/8/2/7/9/8279059/2011report-mobile_learning-_landscape_and_trends.pdf